Someone Else's Identity Crisis
by Kuramastrass
Summary: Of all the things we agree on when it comes to Kurama, there is one thing we just can’t reach a consensus on. The age-old question: just what the hell is he? A fangirl’s thoughts as she tries to reason out what exactly Kurama is: one, two, or three?


**So, here I am... I was cleaning out my stuff, and I found this. I was writing this down in school one day, and I kept it.**

**Ehh... I don't own YuYu Hakusho.**

**So... I now present for your reading enjoyment, "Someone Else's Identity Crisis"! Read the end and review!**

What the hell is he?

Is he three beings – the human and student Shuichi, the demon-hero Kurama, and the fox demon Youko? Or is he two entities, the human and the demon?

Kurama is his real name, after all – is Shuichi just a cover? Or is there more to it than that?

Youko is more of a species classification than a name… Did he drop Kurama and become the Youko to differentiate between the human (Kurama) and the demon (the Youko)? Is Shuichi just the alias to blend in with humans?

Or is there no difference at all? Are Shuichi, Kurama, and the Youko all one? Does his name simply depend on his situation and form?

He can easily switch between the weak human Shuichi and the more dangerous Kurama without most people noticing. The only time a change is ever really noticeable is when he becomes the Youko – for that requires a bodily transformation as well.

He always acts the same no matter if he is Shuichi, Kurama, or the Youko… the Youko, once a cold and merciless killer, has become loyal to those he calls friends and has learned to care… and Shuichi and Kurama both can be incredibly nasty. Transformation into the Youko is more of a change of body to boost his power, stamina, and abilities rather than a change of mind.

Or are the three splits in personality – something like Sensui? Shuichi would be his gentlest side, and the Youko his most dangerous side – like two sides of a coin, with Kurama the edge of that coin – the gentle yet dangerous side.

So, going back to the question, what the hell is he? Is he three beings – Shuichi, Kurama, and the Youko? Is he two entities, the human and the demon? Or is his identity just simply Kurama?

For nothing seems to give an answer.

Kurama himself says that he is a demon soul in a human body… which just raises even more questions! If he's a demon soul in a human body, doesn't that make him completely human? And at the same time, since he's obviously able to draw on the powers of his demon soul, isn't he completely demon? So is he completely human or completely demon or both?

…

If Kurama is completely human and completely demon, does that make him a metaphor for Jesus?

…

Well, I suppose that would make sense… seeing as how he's perfect and all…

But since he describes himself as a demon soul in a human body… and he's obviously very fragile, like a human, but is able to manipulate plants and fight like a demon, I'd say that that means it's split fifty-fifty, meaning he's two entities…

Yet, toward the end of the anime, he expresses confusion over being the student Shuichi, the hero Kurama, and the fox demon Youko…

And the term Youko Kurama implies that Youko is just a term used to describe his form, therefore making the Youko and Kurama one and the same, with Shuichi being just a cover-up…

He gives the utmost importance to keeping his real identity a secret – does he truly care that much about hiding his true nature, or is Shuichi more than just a name?

And then there was that time that he referred to himself as a demon while in his human form…

That effeminate human body of his suffers from wounds that would kill a regular human, and yet survives. Therefore, he isn't one.

Yet, in his demon form, he once expressed the fact that he was glad that he had transformed, for his human body would have been vaporized. More specifically, he said that the human Shuichi Minamino would have been vaporized.

Perhaps Shuichi is the human and Kurama the demon, no matter the form… two entities in one body. Shuichi appears to be more human at times, especially in his sudden, unexplainable anger and death threats… but then it's really Kurama talking… And then at times, behind those golden eyes, the consciousness of Shuichi shines through, allowing the silver-haired killer to show mercy…

And in that case, Youko would be used just as a reference to the form with the ears and tail…

Ugh, you know what? That didn't help at all. I'm still as confused as hell.

For all my obsession with YuYu Hakusho, this is the one question I can't answer. Can someone else try to explain this one to me?

I give up.

- Kuramastrass -


End file.
